Examination of perceived religion in Muslim women's access to counseling and psychotherapy services: An audit study

Across the United States and Canada, the marginalization of Muslims has contributed to many Muslim women having mental health difficulties, making it essential that services are available and accessible. An email correspondence audit design research study was used to investigate whether mental health practitioners demonstrate implicit bias in the form of aversive prejudice against Muslim women during a request for counseling/psychotherapy services. A total of 450 counselors or psychologists participated. Practitioners received an email from either a Muslim or non-Muslim woman, signified by name and a religious quotation, requesting an appointment. Based on the Aversive Racism Framework, it was hypothesized that practitioners would (a) respond more frequently to the Muslim woman and (b) respond faster to the Muslim woman but (c) offer services to the Muslim woman at a lesser or similar frequency. All three hypotheses were supported. Findings suggest that aversive prejudice appears active at the forefront of counseling and psychotherapy services for Muslim women, whereby counselors and psychologists are unknowingly acting in a biased manner toward a request for an appointment from a Muslim woman. Suggestions for overcoming this bias are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).